This is the time for new beginnings! With the arrival of the New Year and spring feeling just around the corner, this is the perfect time to act on goals and intentions and to set a solid foundation for our health.

Today let’s take advantage of this clean slate to make a fresh start - Let's Get Green!

Did you know that leafy greens are nutritional powerhouses?

Leafy Green Vegetables are:

Ideal for weight management as they are typically low in calories.

Low in fat, high in dietary fiber, and rich in folic acid, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium, all of which make these vegetables very useful in reducing the risk of certain health conditions and diseases, including cancer and heart disease.

Packed with phyto-nutrients, such as lutein,and beta-carotene, which help to support our immune system, protect our eye sight and boost our radiance with the production of healthy skin, teeth, nails and hair.

Associated with a lower risk of diabetes due to their high magnesium content and low glycemic index.

A major source of iron and calcium (with the exception of Swiss chard and spinach are not considered good sources of calcium, due to their high content of oxalic acid).

High dietary fiber which helps to improve our digestion and regulate our bowel movements. Yup! Did you know we're all meant to poop at least once a day?

Full of Quercetin a flavonoid which offers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that may help to block substances involved in allergies and auto-immune responses.

Found in a wide variety of colors from the bluish-green of kale to the bright green of spinach.

Higher in nutrient value the darker the color.

Found in a range of flavors from sweet to bitter and peppery to earthy.

When selecting fresh leafy greens:

Choose those with crisp leaves and a vibrant green color. Yellowing is a sign of age and may indicate cause the greens to have an off flavor.

Younger plants generally have small, tender leaves and a mild flavor. Many mature plants have tougher leaves and stronger flavors.

Fresh is best but frozen are convenient to have on hand and can be added in a pinch to soups, stews, smoothies or a stir fry.

Find leafy green vegetables at your local farmer's market, at the grocery store produce department or in the frozen foods section.

Looking for ways to sneak these dark leafy greens into your day? Here are a few of my favorite quick and easy recipes to get you started:

Toss it up: Leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, spinach, watercress and arugula taste great when mixed in a salad. Add veggies, nuts, seeds, fresh and dried fruit to create your own unique and flavorful dish.

Steam: Steam collard greens, beet greens, kale, or spinach. Add water to a pot and place a steamer with the vegetables into it. Next, bring the water to a simmer, cover with a lid, and wait a few minutes until your vegetables are slightly soft.

Bake: Sprinkle kale with a bit of olive oil and sea salt for a crispy, crunchy, green leafy snack. Or bake them into these delicious muffins.

The goal is to include at least a ½ cup of dark green leafy vegetables in our day for a tasty way to boost our health and kick-start our New Year!

Each day this week we'll set daily nutrition habits that will reward us with renewed energy, radiance and optimal health. Whether we want to drop unwanted pounds, boost our energy, defy our age or simply eat healthier, each day this week we'll learn a new quick, simple tip for including vegetables into our daily routine. Making these healthy choices each day will move us toward our goal for the Year of the Dragon in 2012.

I'm excited to hear how you Get Green! and add these flavorful, low-calorie, nutrient-rich greens to your snacks, sides, soups, smoothies and yes, even to your breakfast! Please share your comments, recipes and tips.

ENJOY your Tuesday and I'll see you back here tomorrow as we learn how to Get Inclusive!

Looking for more simple ways to incorporate vegetables into your day, including personalized recipes, meal plans and lists of seasonal vegetable choices for your local area? My 6 month program offers all of these delicious tips taylored-just for-you.

Clea Shannon

Live Inspired Today

Clea Shannon is a Board Certified Wellness Coach (AADP), Founder of Live Inspired Today, a web-based wellness company and the creator of Hip, Simple, Fabulous™ recipes and life-changing wellness advice on her award-winning blog www.CleaShannon.com.

Clea is a shining example of someone who is thriving with an auto immune disease. As an International Wellness Coach and successful entrepreneur, Clea has turned her own health crisis into a personal and professional triumph. It was her journey to health that compelled Clea to help others navigate their own health issues and turn these challenges into powerful, life-changing opportunities. Her experiences shaped Clea’s philosophy that it’s never too late to switch paths or change directions and that small, consistent changes create big, lasting results.

As a graduate of Stanford University, Clea went on to become a Senior Product Designer for NIKE, Nissan and branding powerhouse, Ziba Design. While collaborating with such diverse client companies as FedEx, Whirlpool and KitchenAid, Clea identified strategic opportunities and created powerful solutions with lasting, high-impact benefits. As a collegiate athlete on the Stanford women’s lacrosse team, Clea experienced the powerful benefits of regular exercise and the effects of nutrition and lifestyle on optimal performance.

Her professional turning point came when Clea’s own health diagnosis required that she make profound changes to her diet and lifestyle. Empowered by her transformation, Clea shifted gears to run a thriving yoga studio well-known for its dynamic classes and transformative workshops. She became well-known for establishing deep connections with her clients and for her ability to help them achieve their goals and ultimately change the trajectory of their health.

Hungry for more, Clea studied with leading experts in nutrition and wellness at the world-renowned Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in New York City. Her life’s work was founded on her deep passion for helping people transform their lives through nutrition and daily lifestyle changes. Today she applies these tools and experiences towards her wellness coaching, collaborating with highly successful individuals, professional athletes and corporate leaders from around the world to achieve their personal goals, feel their best and perform at their highest potential.

Clea specializes in designing a Personalized Wellness Program tailored to your specifics needs to support positive changes in your body, mind and spirit and to resolve chronic health issues. Instead of quick fixes, Clea offers clients a wellness lifestyle based on her customized blend of adaptive fitness, functional nutrition and inspirational leadership.Clea’s unique tools have helped her clients to achieve their goals, including weight loss, immune system support, optimal performance and beauty from the inside out. By establishing daily rituals and providing step-by-step instructions for Hip, Simple, Fabulous™ meals, Clea successfully creates an achievable lifestyle in which ANYONE can Live Inspired Today and every day.

Clea is recognized nationally as a Health Coach Advocate for Celiac Disease and an Ambassador for IIN. In 2012, Clea received the prestigious Health Leadership Award. She is regularly featured on radio, television and webinar programs and enjoys speaking to women's groups nationwide. She shares her step-by-step tips for making “hip, simple, fabulous” meals in minutes and establishing daily rituals during her engaging, high-energy workshops. In addition, recipes for Clea’s Hip, Simple, Fabulous™ dishes are frequently published in magazines such as Edible and Dining Out.

Clea is passionate about motherhood, writing Hip, Simple, Fabulous™ articles, cooking with her family, practicing yoga, growing edibles in her garden, traveling, and coaching. A Colorado native, she now lives in San Diego, California, with her daughter. Learn more about Clea and her unique approach to supporting you to achieve your goals. Visitwww.cleashannon.com. Clea can always be reached at: clea@cleashannon.com.